A 145-year-old steam locomotive has arrived at the Havenstreet base of the Isle of Wight Steam Railway from Penrhyn Castle Museum in Bangor, Wales.
The locomotive Haydock has been gifted to the railway by the National Trust which is refocusing its display at Penrhyn Castle to concentrate on the industrial slate quarrying history of the area
Fills an important gap
Haydock fills an important gap in the Island collection, representing the type used in the construction period of Island railways.
It is of the same design of locomotive as Freshwater, used in construction of the Freshwater, Yarmouth and Newport Railway.
History of Haydock
Built by Robert Stephenson in 1879, works number 2309 (Freshwater was works number 2383), it was initially a contractor’s locomotive, and is known to have been utilised on a North Eastern Railway construction contract near Bolton Percy around 1903.
It was later acquired by Richard Evans & Co, owners of the Haydock collieries, and for many years was employed shunting their timber wharf on the Manchester Ship canal at Acton Grange, as well as in the collieries at St Helens.
Working under its own steam
Acton Grange wharf was several miles from the Haydock mines, and apparently the engine would work under its own steam over main line metals between the two sites when required – it still carries its Railway Executive registration plate.
It passed to the National Coal Board in 1947, and from 1952 remained working at Acton Grange until rail operations ceased in 1963. During an overhaul in the 1950s it was fitted with new square topped side tanks and lost its original Salter pattern safety valves. It was stored at the NCB Central Workshops at St Helens from 1963 until 1966 when presented to the National Trust and taken to Penrhyn Castle.
‘Train Story’ exhibition
The locomotive will go on static public display in the IW Steam Railway’s ‘Train Story’ exhibition centre at Havenstreet.
The intention is to cosmetically return it to as-built condition and painted as Freshwater.
Taylor: Extremely grateful to the National Trust
Peter Taylor, Chairman of the IW Steam Railway said,
“We are extremely grateful to the National Trust for placing Haydock in our care where the locomotive will further enhance our collection for the benefit of the wider community.”
The costs of preparation and transportation to the Island have been shared between the National Trust and a group of Railway members.
New shared by Marc on behalf of Isle of Wight Steam Railway. Ed
